Sunday marked my first DNF (did not finish) of my running
career. Even though I have only been running for three years, I still call it a
career. Trust me, I am not finished; far from it actually. This is only the
beginning.

It was probably one of the hardest decisions I have
made in quite a long time. In the back of my mind, I knew that I could probably
finish the race, but I kept weighing the risks.

I
would be lying if I said that I have never had a rocky relationship with
“healthy eating”.

In the
past, I’ve tried:

“Diet Foods”: Splenda, egg whites, sugar free
everything, and so much more. I think you know what I am talking about. This
“healthy eating” experience was absolutely terrible. I was tired, cranky, and just run down.

“Low fat”: This was terrible as well. Not only was
this eating plan completely devoid of heart healthy nutrients, it also tasted
like my butt.

Low carb, no meat, ect… I think I have tried
everything, but I never felt my best.

If
you want to know more about my journey through “healthy eating”, let me know
and I will do a post on it.

To me, the
term “healthy eating” is not a diet, it is a lifestyle choice. I choose to eat
“healthy” everyday because it makes me feel my best. It’s that simple.

My
philosophy on food and “healthy eating” is about enjoying everything in a
balanced manner.

After writing about my food philosophy a few weeks ago, I
have a feeling that most of you guys think that I am completely nuts. After
this post, you are probably going to think I am even more nuts, but if I cared,
I would not be writing this post

I eat the way I do because I like the way it makes me feel both physically
and mentally. After eating a meal with whole grains, vegetables, and grass fed
meat, wild seafood, or organic poultry, I feel so much better than if I had
eaten a greasy burger at McDonalds.

You trip over multiple pairs of shoes trying to get
into your apartment. I then fall on my face and see this:

And I wear every single pair!

A pair of () for walking.

A pair of () for running.

A pair of shoes for running.

A pair of shoes for cross training.

My racing flats for speed work, which don’t get
much use because I am afraid to try running fast again.

MY NEW Brooks ! I haven’t
worn them yet, but I want to try a new pair of shoes. I’ve been running in
the for two years, but the guy working at the running store suggested that
my Adrenalines could be causing my knee pain (apparently he has seen this
before). I’ll
give it a shot!

My dad emailed me this article and I thought it was
really interesting, so I thought I would share it. It’s a little long, but it’s
a great read.

When his running coach implored him to take rest days,
Bill Carr didn’t listen. Slated to run a 100-mile ultramarathon this month, the
36-year-old cranked up his workouts over the summer, running more and harder
miles than his coach recommended.

Running coach Julie Fingar
guides Bill Carr, who ran too much and injured his ankle, in drills at a Twin
Rocks trail near Folsom Lake in Granite Bay, Calif.

Now that we are on the eve of 2011 (literally), it is time to start
planning out what I want to accomplish next year.

I remember my first “real” New Years resolution. It was for the year 2007
and I vowed to give up soda for the rest of my life. This might not sound like
a big deal, but for me at that time, it was a massive accomplishment!

When I was in junior high and high school, my normal breakfast was a bag of
Doritos, a pack of pop tarts, and a Sunkist. Sometimes the pop tarts were
exchanged for a cookie, but the Sunkist was essential. Back in the day, I
probably had at least 3-4 a day MINIMUM. My addiction to soda started in around
7th grade, but lasted until I started eating healthier at some point during
senior year of high school.

Since that day, I have not had a single drop of soda (regular and diet).
The first few weeks were tough, but once February rolled around, I did not even
think about it. Actually, right now I think soda is pretty disgusting and you
could not pay me to drink it. Actually, it depends on how much you are paying
me…